BMI made aviation history when one of its passengers became the first commercial airline passenger ever to have an electrocardiogram (ECG or heart trace) recorded in flight and transmitted by satellite to physicians on the ground, in this case Phoenix, Arizona, in the United States. Whilst on a bmi flight from Chicago to Manchester Stephen Clarke from Congleton felt he had a problem. With no doctor on board cabin staff chief Karen Cornelius contacted the MedLink service and linked in the Tempus 2000 equipment installed just ten months back on the Airbus 330”s used by bmi on transatlantic flights. The ECG was of such good quality that physicians manning the service were able to make an immediate diagnosis of a heart attack. Karen, together with stewardesses Sally Cast and Ellen Davies, administered emergency treatment on board the aircraft and, after a short stay in the Coronary Care Unit at Wythenshawe Hospital, Mr Clarke is now recovering at home. www.flybmi.com